HOUSTON – The Morton Ranch High School student accused of threatening to blow up the school was released from jail on bond Wednesday morning.
Braeden McDaniel, 17, was arrested Tuesday and charged with making a terroristic threat, according to officials from the Katy Independent School District.
McDaniel walked into probable cause court late Tuesday night, took a seat and was then escorted out of the courtroom by a deputy. He never appeared before the judge because he made bond, according to officials at court.
He spoke with KPRC2 after he left jail Wednesday morning. He said he told his friends, "I want to blow up the school."
VIDEO: McDaniel speaks after leaving jail
"It was just me joking around," he said. "I said it in a sarcastic way and then someone else heard it and they thought it was a threat."
The threat got him arrested. McDaniel said school leaders called him Tuesday to the front office, where officers handcuffed him and escorted him out.
McDaniel is a senior and on the wrestling team. He said he wants to study cybersecurity at the University of Texas-San Antonio.
His mother is a chemistry teacher at the high school.
In a letter sent to parents, school leaders said McDaniel never took any action and there were no injuries.
VIDEO: McDaniel briefly appears in court
McDaniel said he "screwed up."
"Don't ever make threats like that. It's not a good thing," he said.
Katy ISD officials released the following statement Wednesday about the case:
"At Katy ISD, threats of any nature are taken seriously and investigated to the full extent allowable by law and District policy. Any disciplinary action, regarding the incident that took place yesterday at Morton Ranch High School, will be in accordance with the Board-approved Discipline Management Plan and Student Code of Conduct."